


stray cat strut

by queenhomeslice



Series: Poly Promptis: Noctis/Prompto/Reader Pairings [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Cat/Human Hybrids, Chubby Reader, Curvy Reader, Getting Together, Multi, Mutual Pining, Poly Promptis, Polyamory, Promptis - Freeform, Shapeshifter Reader, Threesome - F/M/M, fat reader, plus size reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27961184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenhomeslice/pseuds/queenhomeslice
Summary: Noctis wants a cat, and Ignis is firm in saying "no."But the gods have other plans.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Reader
Series: Poly Promptis: Noctis/Prompto/Reader Pairings [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536328
Comments: 63
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Square Enix or any production studios behind the Final Fantasy franchise or Final Fantasy XV; I am not making money from this work and I do not own the rights to FF in any way. 
> 
> _____
> 
> title inspired by "Stray Dog Strut," Cowboy Bebop Session #2; no resemblances to the show episode or any characters, just the title; but obvious disclaimer of "I don't own nor am affiliated with Cowboy Bebop, Shinichirou Watanabe, or Sunrise Studios."
> 
> Rated E for future chapters

Noctis scuffs his feet, scowling at the hot pavement as he ambles towards his downtown high-rise. He’s never been so mad, or at least he thinks. Since he entered adolescence, spats with Iggy are becoming more of frequent occurrence, mostly because Noctis just wants his chamberlain to _listen_. He’s nineteen now, and no longer a child. He’s the prince, for gods’ sakes. Noctis doesn’t understand why Ignis won’t let him have this. _It’s not fair! You’re not my dad, you don’t control me! I hate this!_ It’s the closest Noctis has ever come to _I hate you_ , words that have danced through his teenage brain at one point or another, but that he’s never actually voiced. But the mental shut-downs, the slammed doors, the silent treatment—they speak louder than Noctis could ever shout. He didn’t even let Iggy drive him up to the fancy revolving door of the apartment complex—no, Noctis has been walking for nearly two blocks already. And he waved off dinner, something that Ignis really did balk at, knowing that Noctis would probably just slum on the couch and eat his weight in pizza. 

It’s true—that's exactly what Noctis plans on doing, healthy eating be damned. Not one vegetable tonight for him, no sir. Noctis clutches his gym bag tighter over his shoulder and frowns at the passers-by who are trying to sneak a few cell phone pictures. Thankful that he’s wearing a hoodie, he puts the hood up over his head and fumbles an old pair of aviators that he stole from Gladio onto his face. 

As Noctis passes the slim alley between the luxury apartment complex and the little hipster coffee shop right next door, his angry steps come to a standstill, causing the person behind him to bump into him. Noctis jumps out of the way and mumbles an apology, and ducks into the clean, well-kept alley. 

There, sitting on top of a gray garbage can that’s reflecting the warm summer sun onto the pile of cardboard beside it, is the largest cat Noctis has ever seen. If he didn’t already know what a coeurl kitten looked like, he’d say it could be one, but this cat is far too fluffy and lacks the sinister scowl of the wild predators from Noct’s science books. It’s got the warmest pair of golden eyes that Noctis has ever seen, and its coat is a mottled tortoise shell of white, brown, and black. Its huge, fluffy tail swishes back and forth lazily as it looks at Noctis, yawning. 

“Hey, pretty kitty,” the prince coos softly. He always did have a soft spot for cats. It’s the whole reason for his current war with Ignis—Noctis wants a pet cat for his apartment, and Ignis is unrelenting. It’s not a matter of apartment policy, because Noctis has the whole twenty-fifth floor to himself and he can basically do what he wants—but because Ignis has said that he’s _irresponsible_ and _lazy_ and _can’t even take care of himself, much less a houseplant, so a living, breathing animal is absolutely out of the question_. 

The cat just stares at him and swishes its tail curiously. Noctis steps up slowly, so slowly, to the garbage can and reaches out his hand. The big cat sniffs it for a few seconds before pushing up against Noct’s sword-calloused fingers, chirping its consent. 

The prince nearly breaks down into tears as soon as the feline brushes up against him—he's never felt anything so _soft_ in his entire life. He actively starts to pet the friendly stray, and after twenty seconds the animal is rumbling from head to tail in a deep, satisfied purr. Noctis withdraws his hand and shoves off his duffle bag, moving a few feet from the garbage cans to a relatively clean patch of concrete, sitting cross-legged and patting his knees, coaxing the big cat over to him. It complies, jumping gracefully to the ground, tail swishing as it saunters lazily over to the prince. To Noct’s surprise, it climbs into his lap and settles there, even kneading his jeans lightly with its huge paws. 

Noct’s in heaven. He’s glad he’s wearing sunglasses now because every Joe Schmoe who’s passing on the sidewalk would see the Crown Prince of Lucis bawling his eyes out like a toddler with a giant cat on his lap. He can see the tabloid headlines now— _Prince of Lucis Gets Weepy Over Pussy_ , or something equally ridiculous. He shoves the intrusive thoughts to the side and focuses on just rubbing the giant cat everywhere it grants him access. After a few minutes, it stops its kneading—which, the gesture is sweet; but also, how is he gonna explain the tiny holes in these sweatpants to Ignis—and completely turns over, exposing its fat, hairy stomach to Noctis. 

The prince audibly _gasps_ —and gently puts a hand on the rumbling underside of the cat and begins to stroke and rumple thick, patterned fur. The cat is in rapture, closing its eyes and even making biscuits in thin air, surrendering to Noctis with all the trust in the world. “Oh, you’re so beautiful!” he praises the cat. “Such a sweet baby, yes you are, oh—you like that, right there? Yeah? Good kitty, sweet kitty...” 

This is it. Noctis Lucis Caelum is dead in the water. He’s smitten, utterly convinced that the gods sent him this animal to ease the pain and loneliness in his heart. He strokes and scratches the cat from head to tail—belly, ears, everything. It even lets Noctis stroke over its thick, powerful legs and feet—it even lets him touch its _toe beans_. 

“Wait,” says Noctis, in a moment of clarity as the cat continues to go limp in his lap, eager for any and all affection. “What are you, anyway? Can I check?” 

As if the animal understands him, the cat meows softly and swishes its tail. Noctis gingerly parts the fur near its back legs, and, seeing no remnants of the cat being neutered, or any in-tact testes, concludes that this loving stray is a girl. 

“What a good girl,” he continues, more comfortable now that he knows the sex. “You’re so trusting, so sweet. Do you have a home? If you do, I bet they miss you very much...” 

The cat meows as if to answer him, and Noctis chuckles. “I wish I spoke cat,” he says, dejected. “I do speak dog, but only to Pryna and Umbra, because they’re magic dogs. And Carbuncle—well, I’m not exactly sure if he’s a cat _or_ a dog. I think neither.” 

The cat chirps again and turns over, cutting off tummy access and jumping down from Noct’s lap, rolling over on the warm concrete, stretching out big and long. 

“I wonder _what_ kind of cat you are,” Noct muses, resting one elbow on his knee and putting his chin in his hand. “You sure are big and fat. Not that that’s a bad thing! You’re super soft and sweet...damn I wish I could sneak you in my apartment, but the doorman would see, and Ignis has this stupid clever way of finding out about _everything_...” Noctis sighs, continuing to touch the pretty girl anywhere it lets him. 

“Hey, Prompto likes animals a lot—I bet he would know.” Noctis grins and digs in his pocket for his cell phone. Prompto volunteers at the animal shelter a few times a month, walking the dogs and playing with the cats, always going on and on about how he wishes he could adopt _all_ of them. And not just dogs and cats—the shelter had posted a live video of some abandoned rabbits they’d rescued, and Prompto was in the video, bright blue eyes filled with tears at the poot, timid creatures, holding one in his arms and stroking it lovingly. 

Noctis smiles at the memory and snaps a picture of the cat—and she jumps up immediately, turning in circles, stretching out her two front paws as if in a yoga pose, walking this way and that in front of Noctis as he laughs. “What a ham! Are you actually posing? I’m dying, you’re so _cute_.” He sends the pictures to Prompto along with a squeeing paragraph in all-caps about the world’s most affectionate cat. 

Prompto texts back in seconds with _Holy SHIT that’s a Maine Coon wow she’s gorgeous...I am in love..._

“A Maine Coon, huh? I guess you guys are supposed to get this big?” 

The cat meows an affirmative and saunters back up to Noctis, rubbing up against the side of his body. Noctis gives in and scoops the giant animal up in his arms, and the cat grips into his shirt, rubbing her head against his chest, purring even louder. Noctis holds her like a baby for what feels like hours, until the people passing by the alley dwindle to a slow trickle and the sun settles low behind the skyscrapers. Noctis checks his phone and holy shit—it actually _has_ been hours. Training had ended at four, and it’s now after six pm—he’s been petting the cat this long. His stomach grumbles—he could really use that pizza. He gazes down into the huge, loving eyes of the cat and knows that this won’t be their only meeting. 

“Okay kitty—no, wait. I should give you a name, at least.” Noctis purses his lips and tilts his head. “How about, just...Princess? Since I’m a prince and all. But that’s between us, okay?” He laughs. “I’m Noctis, the prince of Lucis. Only I don’t like being the prince sometimes. I never see my dad and it feels like everything is dictated for me. Which sucks, a lot. I have a few good friends though, which is cool. And now I have you! I’m much better with animals than with people.” Noctis pauses, embarrassed at his rambling, even to the cat, who has been sitting on her haunches, attention solely focused on him. “Sorry, I know I’m probably talking too much. Ah well. You’re just a cat, right? So it doesn’t matter.” He clears his throat. “Anyway, what was I saying...oh right. I’m pretty hungry, so I’m going to go up to my apartment and eat.” Noctis points up to the high-rise building, and honest to the Astrals, the cat follows his pointed finger up, as if it truly does understand that Noctis is pointing home. 

“And then I’m going to shower and change clothes and see if some corner store around here has some cat food, okay? So don’t go anywhere, is what I’m telling you.” 

The cat meows and rises on all fours, turning in circles before licking her huge paws and cleaning her face. She trots back over to the garbage can and swiftly jumps back onto the lid, settling down in a big loaf, front and back legs tucked under her neatly. As if, again...as if she truly understands what Noctis is saying and is going to actually wait for him. 

Noctis grins and rises from the pavement, dusting his sweatpants and, hauling his gym bag back onto his shoulder. He goes up to the garbage can for one last scritch behind Princess’ ears before exiting the alley and shuffling into the apartment building. 

_______ 

Noctis bolts out of the revolving door of the building two hours later, skidding on booted heel as he practically warps down the street. It’s after eight pm, and his section of downtown is quiet, all of the corporate businesses shut down for the day, and the little trendy boutiques along the side alleys having long since closed their doors. It’s mostly restaurants that are open now, as well as corner stores and the usual 24-hour pharmacies. Noctis makes his way down a couple of blocks and hangs a right—it's the store that Prompto works at part-time. He wonders if he can convince his best friend to spend the night after his shift is over. Noctis pushes open the glass door and the chime goes off—a goofy grin spreads across his face as he sees Prompto leaning over the counter, scrolling on his phone with one finger. 

“Hey slacker, get back to work,” Noctis says coolly, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. 

Prompto’s ears go red and he looks up, smiling instantly. “Hey bud!” He puts down his phone—Noctis is better than anything on social media. “It’s been super dead. You're the first person in here in like, an hour.” 

“What time do you get off?” 

Prompto glances behind his shoulder at the giant clock on the wall—the ones with hands that don’t even seem to be moving forward. “Ugh, I have till close. Ten.” 

“You just wanna crash at my place? We can wash your uniform and you can sleep in some of my shorts.” 

Prompto stares at his prince, and Noct’s big blue puppy dog eyes tug at his heartstrings. If only Noctis knew how badly Prompto did actually want to get into his shorts. Literally. “You still feeling bad after your fight with Igster?” 

Noctis bites the inside of his cheek and nods. 

Prompto sighs. “Okay, sure. I’ll go home with you. But I work here tomorrow from like twelve to six.” 

“That’s cool. And hey, I can show you Princess!” 

Prompto stands up straight and cocks an eyebrow. “Princess?” 

“The Maine Coon from the alley.” 

“Oh good grief dude, you named her already?” Prompto clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “And I thought I was bad. You’re gonna get heartbroken when she doesn’t show up anymore.” 

“No, bro, listen. I swear to you, you have to see it. When you talk to her it’s like she listens. Like she actually knows what’s going on.” 

“Damn, this pet thing is really getting to you,” Prompto sighs as he runs his hand through his spikey blond hair. “You want one so bad, now you think you’re the cat whisperer.” 

“Hah hah,” Noctis deadpans, putting his hands on his hips. “You’ll see.” 

“So did you come in just to shoot the shit, or what?” Prompto teases, smirking. 

“Actually, I uh. Do you guys have cat food?” 

“Oh you’re _hopeless_ ,” Prompto sighs; but he rounds the counter, leading his best friend to the back aisle where they stock a few basic pet products. 

Noctis pretends not to notice Prompto’s ass in his tight, patterned jeans as he follows his best friend through the small aisles. Prompto stops at the section that holds the most basic dog and cat food, a few collars and leashes, some bowls, and a couple of toys for each species. 

“This is basically all we have,” says Prompto sadly. “It isn’t much, but maybe tomorrow you can hit one of the bigger groceries across town while I’m at work.” 

“Nah,” says Noctis, too eager. “I’m sure she’ll be fine with this.” Noctis picks up the biggest bag of food and two large bowls. “One bowl for water,” he says. “I’ll pick up a gallon jug while I’m here.” 

“Sure thing bro,” says Prompto. He skips to the adjacent aisle and grabs the cheapest brand of water that they carry, hauling it up to the front. He rounds the counter and scans the jug’s barcode, watching as Noctis takes his time with picking out some chips and candy—his own favorites, plus Prompto’s. It makes the blond’s heart swell—he really is head over heels for his prince. Has been for years, and honestly, who could blame him? But for all of Prompto’s hints—at least he thinks he’s been dropping hints all these years—Noctis is either flat-out not interested, or really, really dense. Prompto knows Noctis is smart, underneath all the nonchalance and apathy, so he knows it’s probably the former. And Prompto’s fine, really, he is. Being the friend of the prince of Lucis is more than he could ever ask for in a hundred lifetimes. 

So Prompto settles behind the counter on the stool and takes each item from Noctis, scanning them and putting them into the stores large, reusable tote bags. Noctis swipes his black credit card and slips it back into his jeans, taking the totes in each hand. He smiles at Prompto. 

“Have a good shift. See you soon, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Prompto nods, grinning. 

Noctis nods and turns, but stops just short of the door. “Hey Prom, have you eaten dinner yet?” 

Prompto’s heart clenches at Noct’s concern. He’s got it so bad. “Uh yeah dude! I bought myself some of our noodles on my employee discount and heated them up in the back.” He waves his hand. “I’m good.” 

“Hm, well. In case you get hungry I’ll be sure to have some food for you. I think there’s leftovers of Iggy’s fried chicken and sweet potato fries.” 

Prompto mops up the drool on the counter. He lives for Ignis’ cooking. The man is a practical chef, and the only thing that Prompto can critique Noctis on is his strict avoidance of every amazing vegetable that Ignis decides to chop, steam, and sauté. “Oh I could eat again,” Prompto says in all seriousness. “I’m never gonna turn down an Iggy meal.” 

Noct chuckles and steps out into the street, glass door slamming and chiming behind him. 

Prompto sighs and continues to what he always does in Noct’s absence—pine away quietly. 

Sure enough, when Noctis gets to the dimly-lit alley beside his apartment building, Princess is curled up on the flattened cardboard boxes that are piled up between the silver garbage can and the sidewalk. 

“Hey Princess! I’m back, just like I said!” 

The huge feline’s eyes pop open instantly, and she chirps loudly, meowing and meowing as she rises and stretches, jumping from the cardboard pile to the concrete, circling Noct’s legs and rubbing up against them. 

“Aw, hey, I missed you too sweet girl,” Noct says, moving a little further down the alley to other side of the large dumpster. He sets the heavy cloth bags on the ground and digs out the two bowls. He tears open the cat food, emptying a generous amount into the blue plastic dish; then snaps open the gallon jug and fills the other bowl to the brim. 

Princess meows loudly and settles down in front of the food bowl, gobbling it hungrily, purring. Noct’s heart swells and he fumbles his cell phone out of his pocket, turning on the flash and taking a picture of Princess eating, sending it to Prompto along with a message of _Success!_

To Noct’s surprise, Princess eats most of the food and drinks nearly all of the water in the bowl. She circles Noct’s legs in appreciation, purring and rubbing up on him. Noctis sits on the ground again and Princess jumps into his lap, and the two new friends bide time until Prompto is free of the corner market. 


	2. Chapter 2

Prompto wakes early, momentarily forgetting where he is until he feels the hot, soft skin of Noctis plastered to him like octopus tentacles. He blushes red and allows himself to indulge in the ripple of goosebumps that lazily meander from his toes to the tips of his ears. The prince has left barely an inch between them, buried under the designer sheets as close to Prompto as humanly possible, as if he's trying to hide away from the world. It’s a blessing and a curse that Noctis is so clingy, because in his unconscious state, Prompto gets to hold him and stroke the prince’s hair like he always dreams of doing under much more consensual (and reciprocated) circumstances. But he can’t help it—Noctis nearly _purrs_ when Prompto runs fingers across his scalp, wiggling and sighing contentedly in his sleep. Of course, if Noctis ever woke up and told him to stop, Prompto would; but luckily for the blond, that hasn’t happened yet, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Prom knows that Noctis leaves a lot of wants unsaid, anyway. 

Prompto’s thoughts drift back to the huge, friendly Maine Coon from the alley. He’d reached Noct’s apartment complex at almost 10:45 last night, and there, between the luxury building and the overpriced coffee shop, had been the Crown Prince of Lucis, nestled against a dusty brick wall, slim legs outstretched and the biggest fucking cat that Prompto had ever seen curled up on his lap. Noct’s eyes were closed, hood up over his head—he looked half-homeless, which is probably why he wasn’t afraid of anyone bothering him. He’d cracked an eye at Prompto’s approaching footsteps and the cat had looked up at him with an adorable “Brrr?,” and Prompto nearly flung himself on the ground to gain the furry girl’s affection. 

And Prompto’s no cat expert, but Noctis did seem to know what he was talking about—the cat was incredibly attentive, and responded to almost every silly question the boys had asked her with cute chirps and high-pitched meows. She’d kept looking up at the top of the high-rise and meowing, and Noctis would lament and sigh and say _I can’t take you home, sweet Princess, Iggy would kill me_ and _You’re so domesticated, surely you have a home somewhere, right?_ And Prompto didn’t think he could fall any more in love with Noctis, but seeing him interact with this big, adorable cat is definitely taking his own affection to new depths. 

Prompto sighs, and he _hates_ to do it, but he slips way from Noct’s warm embrace to turn over and check his phone—his eyes widen in panic as he sees that it's ten am; he’s surprised that he even slept this long. He doesn’t even have time for a run this morning. He’s got work in two hours, so he groans as he leaves the one place in the world where he wishes he could stay forever, bare feet hitting the plush black rug that’s spread underneath Noct’s bed. Prompto makes short work of throwing his boxer shorts and yesterday’s clothes in Noct’s washing machine across the hall, adding detergent and putting them on the shortest spin cycle. He pads back to the giant bedroom and is in the doorway of the bathroom when he hears a soft whistle coming from the bed. He turns, bright red, to see Noctis half-sitting up in his giant bed. 

“Oh shut up,” Prompto teases, embarrassed even though he and Noct have seen each other naked hundreds of times (and each time is another core memory stored in Prompto’s spank bank). 

Noctis smiles lazily, piercing Prompto’s heart yet again. “You left,” the prince mumbles sadly. 

“It’s already after ten bro, I gotta shower and stuff for work. I’ve already put my laundry on.” 

“Booooooo,” whines Noctis, flopping back down. He doesn’t want to stare at Prompto’s bare ass—bare _everything_ —too long, or he’ll get the world’s most awkward boner. “Call out. I’ll give you money.” 

“Can’t dude, I’m the most senior staff they’ve got, if you can believe it. I would feel really bad if I just ditched with no reason.” 

“I’m the reason,” Noctis whines, and boy, Prompto’s resolve is crumbling fast. 

“Noct,” Prompto sighs, shaking his head. “I can’t.” 

Noctis groans into the pillows but doesn’t protest any more, leaving Prompto to shower and brush his teeth in peace. 

At 11:30, Noctis follows Prompto out of the apartment building and to the side alley, both of them full on homemade lattes (thanks to Prompto’s short six months as a barista at the now-closed coffee shop on the other side of the city) and Prompto’s attempt at omelets (they came out more like scrambled eggs with sliced ham and cheese melted on top, but hey—protein nonetheless, right?). Princess is there of course, is lapping up the last of her water, only a few half-chewed crumbs left in the designated food bowl they’d left on the other 

“Hey Princess!” Noctis coos excitedly, clapping his hands. 

Prompto can’t help but smile. He wishes Iggy could be a fly on the wall to see how taken Noctis is with this cat. 

The prince draws a kibble-stuffed plastic baggie out of his jacket pocket, along with a bottle of water. 

Princess chirps and immediately turns circles around Noct’s legs like a big, fuzzy shark. She looks up at Prompto and chirps, looking back to Noctis, and then again to Prompto, as the prince moves on to fill her bowls. Prompto squats low and pets her head. “Hey girl,” he whispers. “You know, don’t you? I’ve always known cats are intuitive. It’s a good thing you can’t talk.” 

Princess meows loudly and rubs into Prompto’s hands. 

“Hey, Princess! Food time!” Noctis calls, standing. 

Princess yawns and lazily turns away from Prompto’s embrace, sauntering over to Noctis and meowing thanks as she digs into brunch. Prompto stands and stretches, putting both hands on the straps of the bright yellow chocobo-shaped backpack that’s over his shoulders. 

“I should get walkin,’ bud,” he says sadly. Damn the commoner’s necessity of having to have a _job,_ of all ridiculous things. All he wants to do is hang out with the love of his life and the pretty cat, even if it is the dead middle of summer. He’d follow Noctis _anywhere_. 

“Yeah, okay,” says Noctis, dejected. He’s pouting and he knows it. Six hours seems like forever. He’s not scheduled for training today, and he knows that Ignis will likely let himself in at one point and attempt to make amends. It would just be better if Prompto was there. “I might come by and visit on your lunch break? You should take a break at like 3, right?” 

Prompto’s heart flutters at Noct’s words. “Hey, you remembered! Yeah I should get a break at 3, for like fifteen minutes.” 

Noctis nods. “I’ll come by with some street noodles or something so you can eat.” 

Prompto clutches his heart dramatically as he turns and walks up the street. “My hero, Noct!” 

Noctis sits and watches Princess eat; and when the huge Main Coon has had her fill, she circles back to the prince, purring and rubbing up on him, affectionate as ever. Noctis sighs as he scratches behind her ears. 

“Hey Princess,” Noctis says softly, as the big cat settles on his lap again, purring up a storm. “You don’t have any advice on confessing to a crush, do you?” 

Princess yawns and looks up at him with her big golden eyes, and meows. 

“Thanks,” Noctis laughs. 

Ignis parks his car in the underground garage and hops into the elevator, opening the silver panel on the wall and punching in the secret access code for the twenty-fifth floor—Noct's floor. He sighs, hoping that the prince has gotten over his little tantrum and is able to see things from Ignis’ perspective. It’s not that Ignis doesn’t think that Noctis having a pet isn’t a good idea—in truth, it might help him, mentally—but as long as Ignis is still picking clothes up from the floor and putting them into the hamper and throwing away food from the fridge that has turned into a bona fide science experiment, well...Ignis just really, _really_ doesn’t want to find a starving animal—or a dead one—in the penthouse at the end of a long day. He hates that he’s made Noctis so angry at him, and he supposes that it’s partially his fault for having spoiled the prince all these years. But Ignis has had a hard time saying _no_ up until now, and the value of innocent life is the only thing keeping him from bowing to Noct’s whims. 

The elevator door slides open, and sprawling apartment looks...clean? Ignis was just here two days ago, but it’s amazing how much damage the prince can do in 48 hours. Either he’s cleaned as an act of repentance, or Prompto spent the night last night and did some work after Noctis conked out. (which is more likely what happened). 

“Noct?” Ignis calls, checking the bedroom, the _other_ bedroom, the _other_ other bedroom, the gaming room, the small movie theater, the home gym, the dining room, the laundry room...nothing. There are freshly-washed dishes by the sink, and the bed is rumpled, so there’s been recent activity. Definitely Prompto, Ignis thinks as he checks the fridge and sees the clear carton of eggs half-empty, looking back to the frying pan on the dish towel on the counter. Ignis takes stock of the pantry and the fridge, making a neat list on the magnetic pad that’s hanging from the freezer door. He slips it into his pocket and goes to take stock of the supplies in the bathroom, and emergency supplies in one of the many hall closets. 

Noct’s phone rings; he shifts slightly, not wanting to upset Princess too much. His outstretched legs have long gone numb, and he’s got his hood up over his head and Gladio’s sunglasses on so that everyone will just think he’s another bum. Princess chirps but stays loafed on Noct’s lap as he draws his phone from his pocket and answers it. 

“Hello?” 

“Noct,” says Ignis. “Where are you?” 

“I’m uh, outside.” 

“Thank you for the details. Outside where?” 

Noctis laughs at the sarcasm, and Ignis smiles. It’s so nice to hear his prince laugh again. “I’m in the alley beside the apartments.” 

“In the alley...whatever are you doing there?” 

“So there’s this...stray.” 

“Noct,” Ignis begins to chide. 

“Wait, wait! It’s not what you think! I definitely haven’t taken Princess inside or anything!” 

“Princess,” Ignis remarks. “Noct, now you know...” 

“Specs, if you just _listen_ ,” Noctis whines; and fuck, Ignis can hear the hurt in his voice. He bites his tongue. 

“Continue,” he says, softer. 

“Okay, so like I even went to the corner store where Prom works, last night, and I got her a bag of food and two bowls and everything. She’s really super sweet, Iggy, and I fed her last night and this morning. You can ask Prompto. She’s super intelligent, too, like she actually knows what you’re saying. She’s so awesome and loving, Iggy, you gotta meet her!” 

“In the alley,” says Ignis, shaking his head. “Noctis, the paparazzi...” 

“Don’t worry Iggy, my hood is up and my sunglasses are on.” 

“And in threadbare attire, no doubt,” says Ignis, trying to bite back a smile. 

“Ha, that’s me. C’mon Iggy, I don’t want to be mad at you anymore. Maybe we can find a compromise on this, yeah?” 

Ignis nods. “I’ll come down there, but no promises,” he says. 

Ignis leaves from the back door of the apartment lobby and rounds the alley from the opposite side, and he sees the tell-tale mismatched boots of Noctis Lucis Caelum outstretched by the wall opposite a dumpster, a garbage can, and piles of flattened cardboard. As he draws closer, he can see a giant— _giant,_ Ignis emphasizes in his brain—furry animal asleep on the prince’s lap, with Noct’s slender hands stroking the mottled tortoise-shell hair in long, luxurious strokes. 

“What on Eos,” says Ignis, sitting on the ground next to Noctis against the better judgement of his dress slacks. 

“Hey Specs,” says Noctis, full lips curling into a soft smile that makes Ignis’ heart melt. 

He’s got such a soft spot for Noctis—the prince is his whole world, and has been since they were both single-digit ages. Ignis only hopes that Noctis somehow understands that Ignis is trying to teach him some semblance of responsibility. “That is the largest cat I have ever seen,” says Ignis. 

Noctis chuckles. “D’y’hear that, Princess? You’re blowing Iggy’s mind right now.” 

The huge cat meows and stands up on Noct’s lap turning to face the newcomer. She gazes up at Ignis with her huge golden eyes and meows in greeting, purring even louder. 

“She is quite beautiful,” Ignis admits. He gently reaches out a hand and lightly strokes her head, and Princess leans into it immediately, rumbling with joy. “And soft too, my word.” 

“Prom says she’s a Maine Coon,” says Noctis, scratching just above her tail, causing her thick backside to arch up a little. He laughs. “You wanna see her do a trick?” 

“I wasn’t aware I had tickets to the circus today,” Ignis teases, scratching under her chin. 

Noctis snorts and Ignis smiles at him. “Okay, just watch. Hey Princess,” Noctis coos softly. “Hey, remember where I showed you my home? Can you show Iggy where it is?” 

And to Ignis’ surprise, Princess meows and tilts her head up, eyeline directly at the top floors of the apartment building. 

“Oh, _good girl_!” Noctis says, scratching her all over. The giant cat chirps in appreciation, flopping over on her side and granting tummy access. Noctis takes advantage of the thick, soft fur immediately, stroking it and grabbing light fistfuls of hair. Princess only blinks her eyes slowly and purrs louder. 

Ignis just stares at Noctis and the cat and feels his once-icy exterior beginning to melt. He’d seen the large plastic bowls by the dumpster, and the remains of fresh food and water. He has no doubt that Noctis is telling the truth about now feeding a cat nearly two days in a row. Still... “I’ll give you two weeks, Noct,” Ignis says. “If you can truly prove yourself in household duties, as well as taking care of your own basic needs without my constant assistance, I shall...consider the pet.” 

“Not just any pet,” says Noct. “ _This_ pet.” 

Ignis sighs. “She is quite friendly, and seemingly intelligent. Are you quite certain that she’s not just lost from some poor family?” 

Noctis shrugs. “She’s been in this alley since yesterday, and I haven’t seen any lost cat posters around on telephone poles.” The prince pouts, sticking out his bottom lip. “Maybe I can take her to the vet to see if she’s chipped?” 

“In two weeks,” says Ignis, holding up fingers for emphasis. “If she’s still around, and you’ve proven that you’re ready to care for a creature more helpless than yourself.” 

“Ouch, damn,” says Noctis, putting his hand over his heart. “You hear that Princess? I need you around to soften up Speccy here.” 

Princess looks at Ignis and honest to gods _winks_ at him as she continues to purr and knead the air with her huge paws as the prince rubs her big belly. Ignis takes one of her paws in his hand and holds it, smiling softly as she curls her toes around his finger. He’s beginning to understand Noctis a little more, he thinks. 

________ 

To Noct’s immense glee, Princess had trotted alongside of him the whole two blocks up the downtown strip to the corner store where Prompto was working. She’d waited patiently as Noctis had paid for two bowls of chicken fried rice at the food truck across the street, and waited outside the store for Prompto to get off on his quick break. 

“Oh, Princess!” Prompto exclaims as he steps out of the door, grinning widely at Noctis and his hands full of rice. 

“Oh, gee, yeah, like the cat went and brought you lunch. Hello to you too.” 

“Hey,” Prompto teases. “I’m just surprised she’s not glued to her alley. Maybe she really is just a stray.” Prompto had read Noct’s slew of texts on his last bathroom break, so he’s in on the Iggy ultimatum. He takes the warm bowl of fried rice and bows low, a spectacle that makes Noctis rolls his eyes. 

“Thank you, my good sir,” Prompto mumbles, taking the fork from Noct’s hand and eagerly shoveling in the rice, chicken, and diced vegetables as fast as he can. 

Princess just stares at the two friends, swishing her tail and licking her lips. 

“Dude, I can’t,” says Prompto, nearing the end of his meal. He looks at the fitness tracker on his wrist. “I’ve got a minute, so. I better get back.” He licks his lips. “Thanks for the food, bro. You’re a real pal.” 

“No sweat,” Noctis replies, taking the mostly-empty bowl from his best friend’s hands, trying not to blush when Prompto’s fingers brush his. “See you later? You wanna do the arcade or something?” 

“Oooooooor,” Prompto sings, wagging his eyebrows. “We could go to a cat café and play with Princess? It’d be nice to take her inside somewhere.” 

“Gosh Prom, does your neck ever hurt under the weight of your massive brain?” 

Prompto giggle-snorts until he begins to choke, waving to Noctis and meandering back into the convenient store. 

Noctis smiles and finishes his meal, combining both bowls into one and setting it on the ground for Princess to gobble up. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to feed you this. Don’t die, okay?” 

Princess meows and finishes off the fried rice in record time. She looks up at Noctis and purrs. 

“Well, you seem fine for now, I guess.” Noct picks up the paper containers and tosses them in the nearest garbage can. “C’mon, let’s head back to the apartment. I don’t want you getting lost out here. You need to stay where I can find you.” 

But to Noct’s surprise, Princess turns and paces back and forth in front of the doors of the little market. 

Noctis shakes his head. “Sorry Princess, Prompto has to work, and there’s a strict no-pets policy. He’ll be off in a few hours, okay? Then we can all hang out again.” He squats, patting his knee, but Princess doesn’t budge. “Princess, come on. I know you understand me. You can’t go in there, silly girl.” 

The huge cat meows loudly and stands up on her thick hind legs, putting both powerful paws on the glass of the door. And as luck would have it, the door gives way and swings inward, allowing Princess to trot inside. 

“No!” Noctis scrambles to his feet and bolts through the door. 

“Noct?” Prompto says, looking up from the cash register as he counts bills. 

“The cat!” Noctis says, skidding on booted heel down the aisles of food and household supplies. 

Princess has settled on her haunches in front of the meager offerings of office supplies that the store has to offer: paper, pencils, notebooks, paperclips, and the like. She makes eye contact with Noctis and waits patiently for him to storm down the aisle and squat. 

“Hey,” says Noct, trying to keep his annoyance in check. He doesn’t want to lose her. “Come on. You can’t be in here. Doesn’t matter if I’m a prince, I don’t wanna break the rules, okay? Let’s go.” 

But the cat only stands on her hind legs again, reaching out to paw at a pack of mechanical pencils, and then at a small, lined notebook. 

Noctis blinks. “Hey--what?” 

“You okay buddy?” Prompto rounds the corner to the end of the aisle, grateful that his manager isn’t due in for another hour. “Look, I know she’s awesome, but we can’t...” 

“I know, I know, Prom. You won’t get in trouble. But—look.” Noctis gestures. 

Princess meows loudly again, looking at the two young men while pawing again at the pencils, and at the notebook. 

“Dude,” says Prompto, breathless. “Do you actually think she’s...” 

“...trying to communicate,” Noctis finishes. He looks back up at Prompto, wide-eyed. Noctis scoops up his huge furry friend, and Prompto grabs the pencils and the notebook, taking them to the counter. Noctis swiftly pays for the items and steps back outside to the street. 

“Okay, little troublemaker.” Noctis hurriedly opens the pencils and clicks until the lead is out, opening the notebook to the first clean page. He writes out the alphabet in neat, large letters, setting the spiral notebook on the concrete. 

Princess steps onto the notebook, points with those big soft paws to five letters that make Noct’s head spin: 

_H-U-M-A-N_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for your patience it's been rough lately and I'm sorry. love y'all, thanks as always for reading

Noctis has never run so fast in his life. He scoops up Princess, barely remembering to grab the notebook and the pencils he’d purchased. When the crowd on the sidewalk gets too dense for him to maneuver through, he grits his teeth and summons his engine blade. 

“Hang on, Princess. Don’t be scared, okay. You’re safe. I’m going to use magic.” 

The huge cat chirps and buries her claws in Noct’s shirt, and the prince doesn’t even have time to wince in pain before he throws his heavy sword towards the top of the nearest skyscraper and warps after it. They land at the top of a tall banking building, and Noctis takes his sword and throws it again, following along high above the city. Within minutes, they’re at the top of the apartment building, on the rooftop that houses the luxury pool and cocktail bar. It’s thankfully deserted, and Noctis wastes no time in barging through the top door and down the stairs to the lobby elevators. 

Once they’re safely alone in his apartment, Noctis throws the notebook, pencils, and the big fluffy cat onto his giant, double-king bed and pauses for a breath, hands on his knees, feeling worn out by the sudden burst of magic he’s just used. Princess meows loudly, Noctis looks up at the cat perched on the edge of the bed. 

“No, I’m fine, Princess, I just—I was in a panic. I’m okay.” He yawns. “I just get tired a lot, y’know? That’s called warping, by the way. I can do it, and so can my dad, and our personal soldiers called the Kingsglaive.” Noctis pauses. “Wait, I’m rambling. This is about you! You can talk! Well, kind of.” He waits for the cat’s reaction, fidgeting nervously. 

Princess turns in circles, as if she’s not sure exactly what to do. She scans the room, jumping from the bed to the floor and sniffing around. Noctis watches as his four-legged friend meticulously makes her way around the room, under the bed, under the dresser, behind the curtains, under the armchair in the corner. After what feels like an hour, she jumps back up onto the bed and stares at Noctis, meowing loudly. 

“Okay, what’s wrong, girl? What do you want me to do? I’m here, you’re safe. You can trust me. I want to help you.” 

Princess tilts her head at Noctis and stretches, walking to the edge of the bed closest to where he’s standing. But suddenly, she turns and darts across the bed, taking off at top speed and leaping from the mattress to the floor. 

In a brilliant flash of blue, not unlike the sparkles of his own Armiger and weapons therein, Princess lands on the floor with a loud thud and a soft grunt that sounds...not very cat-like. Noctis scrambles to the other side of the bed and stumbles back, clutching his chest. 

There’s a woman on his floor. A very chubby, very _naked_ , woman, with short, ______ hair. She coughs and groans and manages to sit up, half-reclined on shaky limbs. She’s facing the giant window, tilting her head in confusion. She coughs again and manages to speak. 

“Um. Hi,” she says, voice weak with disuse. “I’m--sorry, I—um.” 

“You’re...you’re human...” Noctis can’t believe it. In all of his private history lessons, he’s never heard of a race of shapeshifters. This is a thing straight out of fantasy...right? “But you...cat?” He shakes his head. “You’re also, uh. Naked.” 

“Right.” She clears her throat. “Sorry. I, um. I can explain. I just didn’t...want to hide anymore.” 

Noctis grabs a throw blanket from the bench at the foot of his bed and comes up close behind Princess, gently draping it over her shoulders. It’s plush and soft and expensive, and Princess reacts to it immediately, drawing it around her and burrowing down into it. 

“Can I come sit in front of you?” asks Noctis. “Is that okay?” 

Princess sniffs a little and nods, lifting her head to look at Noctis as he comes around and sits between the window and his new friend. He gets goosebumps immediately as he looks at her face—she's _pretty_ , with clear skin and big, adorable golden eyes. Noctis reaches out to tenderly cup her round face, and she leans into his palm on instinct, exhaling deeply. He feels tufts of fur on the side of her head—drawing back her short hair, he sees furry cat ears where normal, human ears would be. 

“Wow,” Noctis breathes. “Who _are_ you?” 

Princess—the woman—stares up at him with those big golden eyes. “I’m from—I'm from Niflheim. Um. I’m part of a failed experiment. Experiments,” she says quietly, shaking her head, struggling to find her voice. “I...found my way here. To Lucis.” 

“You escaped,” says Noctis, filling in the gaps. “I’m so sorry. Do you have a name?” 

“_________,” she says. “_________ __________. I was born in the capital city of Gralea. We were...family was poor. I signed up to...to...” 

“You volunteered for clinical trials for money,” Noctis infers, nodding. “Hey, hey. It’s not your fault. You don’t have to worry any more. You’re safe with me. I’m going to take care of you.” 

_________ sniffs and shakes her head. “I’m sorry I—lied.” 

“No,” says Noctis. “You didn’t lie. You told me the truth as soon as you were able. I respect that, a lot.” 

“You were so good to me,” she whispers. “Feeding me, making sure I had water. Talking to me. Petting me.” 

Noctis blushes as he looks away. There’s not a single inch of her in cat-form that he hadn’t touched. He wonders if her human form felt it, too. 

“I know how much you wanted a...a pet,” she says, slowly. “I can be that for you.” 

Noctis shakes his head. “I’m not that selfish. Knowing that you’re human, I couldn’t ask you to stay an animal forever.” 

“I don’t know _what_ I am,” _________ says sadly. “I went into hiding for years after the experiments failed... My family thinks I’m dead. I don’t even know where they are, if they’re still in Gralea, or...” She presses her fingers to her eyes as she begins to cry. 

“Shit,” says Noctis, drawing her close. “Come here, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” He scoops ________ up onto his lap and wraps himself around her as much as he can. Her weight is like a grounding comfort on top of him, and she feels so snug in his arms. Noctis holds her until her crying slowly dies down and she’s breathing deeply, sleeping as a human for the first time in months. 

_________ 

When Prompto clocks out of work and steps out into the busy streets of downtown Insomnia, he ducks into a side alley to open up the text messages from Noctis. He must have gotten a hundred notifications during the last half of his shift. As he scrolls through them, there’s more and more caps lock and less and less coherency. He reads how Princess spelled out the word _human_ with her paws, how Noctis warped three blocks to the top of the apartment building, how she transformed in front of his eyes. Prompto opens the image attachments and gasps. The cat wasn’t kidding—she _is_ human, and, Prompto notices immediately, really pretty. He blushes, because according to Noct’s messages, she’d morphed from animal to human in his bedroom, sans clothes. In the pictures, she’s wrapped up in one of the prince’s plush throw blankets that costs more than Prompto makes in two weeks at the corner store. He gets to the end of the messages, and hits the phone icon at the top by Noct’s name. 

_“Bro,”_ says Noctis, picking up on the first ring. “Didja get my texts at all? Are you off work now? Can you come over?!” 

Prompto laughs. “Calm down buddy, yes! I’m off and I’m headed there now. But uh, I really need to go home tonight and do some chores, okay? We can hang out tomorrow after my shift. I open, so my afternoon and evening are totally free.” 

“Okay cool fine whatever,” Noctis says, all in one breath. “I’m freaking out, can you just come here?” 

“Is Princess—the girl—still up there with you?” 

“Yeah,” says Noctis, and Prompto doesn’t need to see his face to know that the prince is smiling. It makes him warm from head to toe. “We got her showered and I heated up every single leftover in the fridge and she ate it _all_.” 

Prompto laughs, moving from the alley and in the direction of the towering apartment complex, weaving around in and around the crowds. “Cool beans buddy. I’m glad she was able to clean up and eat real people food—oop, sorry!” Prompto almost trips over his own two feet as he narrowly avoids a mom with a double stroller. “Ugh, sorry dude. Stroller alert, ha ha.” 

Noctis laughs. “No sweat. Hey, are you here yet?” 

“Dude, it’s peak rush hour! I’m trying! It’s like swimming through concrete down here, okay.” 

“Actually,” Noctis says, humming. “Are you at the department store yet?” 

“Huh? Oh, uh...” Prompto’s voice trails off as he lowers his phone and checks his surroundings. He looks across the street, and the giant three-story mall is within his sights. He jogs over, into the street, weaving around standstill taxis and honking cars as he grabs a meter on the sidewalk and swings himself to safety. “Bam! Here,” says Prompto, darting inside of the revolving doors. “Do you need something?” 

“Do you think you can find _________ some clothes?” 

“Oh for sure,” says Prompto, already knowing which store sells the widest range of clothing sizes. “Did you guys, uh, take measurements?” 

“Yeah, I slipped the tape measure into the bathroom while she was in the shower, and she measured herself. I’ll Venmo you some cash so you can pay. She’ll need everything—underwear, bras, pants, shirts, socks, and shoes.” 

Prompto nods, feeling eager. He loves that he gets to help Noctis and his surprise not-totally-a-cat friend. “Just call me the super shopper,” Prompto quips brightly. “I’ll make sure she’s set. Uh. Preference on colors or anything?” 

“Black, mostly, if you can help it.” 

Prompto grins. “Pretty sure I can do that.” 

______ 

After _________’s new clothes have been washed and dried, she sits with Prompto on the couch, dressed in black skinny jeans and loose-fitting graphic t-shirt, while Noctis paces back and forth in front of them. 

“Okay,” says Noctis, hands clasped behind his back. “I have two weeks to prove to Ignis that I can take care of myself. And the apartment.” 

“I’ll help you clean as much as I can, buddy,” says Prompto. It’s a _big_ apartment, but Prompto is nothing but eager to help his lifelong crush. “I’m sure I can shift hours at the store.” 

“I can...I can help,” __________ says, blinking up at the handsome prince who’s fed and clothed her. “Um. It’s the least you can do after everything that you’ve done.” 

Noctis grins. “Okay, great. We can do this. I have a good feeling. If you two can help me keep a routine...then Ignis will see that I’m responsible enough for a cat.” he pauses, blushing as he looks at _________. “Uh, I mean. Like a _cat_ cat.” 

She smiles. “I knew what you meant,” she says quietly. “I’m just not sure...where I’m supposed to go. If your adviser finds out about me...I’ll just end up back on the streets again. I’m all alone without _anything._ Birth certificate, citizen ID card...I don’t even have a job, or money.” 

“Hey,” Noctis says, kneeling down in front of her and taking her small, chubby hands in his own, thumbing over her soft skin. “I told you, I’m going to take care of you. Ignis is going to love you. And he’s so smart—we'll get all your papers from the Niffs, don’t worry. You’ll be a citizen of Lucis in no time. I can help you go to school, if you want. There are plenty of jobs at the Citadel that you could do. You’ll see. They may have tried to take your life from you, but we’re gonna help you get it back, I promise.” 

__________ sniffs hard and nods, big wet tears rolling down her round cheeks. 

Prompto’s on the verge of crying too—he's already so in love with Noctis, and seeing this side that the media doesn’t get to see, his best friend’s simple drive to _help_ people, his utterly selfless heart underneath the brooding exterior...he feels himself falling harder and faster than he ever thought possible. 

______ 

The three of them establish a routine—Ignis is at the apartment in the evenings on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday: weekdays, six pm until ten, and Sundays, twelve to three. Prompto is in charge of the kitchen and the spare bedroom and its connected bathroom. Noctis takes charge of his own bedroom suite and the living room. _________ is in charge of the laundry (mostly to remember how washers and dryers actually work), the other spare bedroom and its bathroom, and the gaming room. All three of them decide to collaborate on cleaning Noct’s home gym and the movie room, since those aren’t used as often and only require major cleanup after heavy use. 

Noctis avoids bringing up “Princess” to Ignis during the whole first week of his test. _________ makes sure to transform and wait in the alley during the times that Ignis is over, so that when he goes outside to check, he can see for himself that the cat is indeed there, with full bowls of water and food. Prompto bounces between home and the store, helping Noctis to establish a routine and think of fun, creative ways to make his prince less of a disaster. Prompto hides _________’s clothes in the back of the closet in the second spare bedroom suite in a nondescript shopping bag, hoping Ignis won’t decide to hide Noct’s birthday present in the same spot. 

Prompto also secretly hopes that __________ will forget about what he said when he first met her. He’d whispered to the cat, “You know, don’t you?” He’s panicking. What if she accidentally blurts out that Prompto likes the prince? Prompto could never live it down. He’d throw himself into traffic. He’d never be able to look Noctis in the eyes ever again. 

____ 

It’s Saturday night, and the three of them are in Noct’s gaming room. _________ is fascinated by the intricate RPG that Prompto is playing. Noctis can’t stop staring at her adorable golden eyes, and the large furry ears sticking out between strands of soft _____ hair. Noctis has played this game, but Prompto hasn’t, so the prince is sitting close to his best friend, knocking knees with him and trying to act casual, guiding him through the beginning bits of the story. 

__________ sits on the other side of Prompto on the large couch, wrapped up in a blanket and the cozy loungewear Prompto had picked up for her after his shift at the corner market. She’s showered and full of more incredible food, feeling absolutely loved and warm, surrounded by the only two people she has in the world right now. But as the evening progresses... _________ finds herself feeling _unnaturally_ hot, eyesight growing hazy and brain becoming foggy, speech less and less coherent. She thinks back on the past several days...she’s been using the bathroom more frequently, and in both forms, she thinks she’s been very affectionate towards both Noctis and Prompto, even more than usual. She can’t deny the want that’s coursing through her veins. 

She blinks in horror up at the brightly-lit flat-screen tv where Prompto is currently fighting a pack of wild creatures with his party of three level-6 characters. “Oh...shit,” she whispers, realizing what is happening. As if anything could get more embarrassing. 

“Huh?” Prompto pauses the game and turns. Noctis, too, leans forward to look at __________. 

___________ swallows hard and shivers, feeling warmth and goosebumps travel up her thick body from her toes to the tips of her furry ears. “I’m, uh. I think I’m going into _heat.”_

Prompto blinks and lowers his controller, pretty violet-blue eyes growing wide, mouth falling open in surprise. “Wha...what?” 

__________ shifts uncomfortably and clears her throat. “I...y’know. Heat. Like, I’m going into heat.” 

Prompto nods. “No I know what that is I just...um. You get that?” 

__________ shrugs. “I mean my physiology is...part cat. So... yes? I just haven’t been...uh, in human form for it.” 

Noctis blinks, stormy blue eyes wide as saucers. “You have been kinda clingier lately. Huh.” 

“Sorry,” _________ murmurs sheepishly. “I, uh. I never know how to track these things. It’s not like...there’s a doctor who specializes in this condition.” 

Prompto’s head is swirling with a million thoughts. He turns slowly to Noctis, who looks half-aroused and so, so beautiful. He can’t help but blush. “Whatcha thinkin, bud?” 

“Well,” says Noctis, and he has to clear his throat because wow, is that him? “Uh. Can we...can we help?” 

Prompto thinks he might die. He whips his head back to _________, who’s staring at them with a small smirk. 

“Um. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then, I wouldn’t be opposed...only if you really want to, but...shouldn’t you two talk about something first?” 

Prompto’s eyes go wide and he shakes his head furiously at the mysterious cat girl. 

“What, Prom? Hey, look at me. What does she mean?” 

Prompto gasps for air and squints his eyes. He can’t do this. He’s not ready to lose the best friend he ever had. He feels like he’s about to have a panic attack. It’s not her fault but goddammit, why did __________ even say anything just now, fuck fuck _fuck_ \-- 

“Prompto.” Noctis knows these signs. He places his hand on his best friend’s back and starts to rub, whispering softly, bending down low in his space. He raises his head for just a minute to look at _________. “What’s this about?” 

“I’m sorry,” she says, looking truly apologetic. 

Noctis can’t blame her too much—living as a cat surely has dampened an understanding of social cues and everything else that comes with being an effective communicator and functioning member of society. 

“You should tell him,” she says, looking pointedly at Noctis. “I think you know what I mean.” 

Noct’s eyes go wide. Surely she can’t mean-- “Wait.” 

___________ nods, licking her lips absently. “I think it would be better for you two to talk first. I can wait.” 

Noctis bends back down to where Prompto is attempting to breathe normally. “Prompto,” he whispers. “It’s okay.” 

“It’s not,” says Prompto, wrecked. “I’m sorry, Noct, I...” 

“I like you.” 

Prompto sucks in a breath and turns to his best friend, blinking through tears. He can’t even form words anymore. 

“I...I like you,” Noctis repeats, heart slamming against his ribcage. He reaches up and cups the side of Prompto’s pretty slender face, thumbing away the tears. “As, uh. More than friends.” 

All Prompto can do is stare. He's aware his jaw is on the floor; he just can’t do anything about it. 

“Do you...do you like me?” Noctis whispers, barely even putting voice to the words. He leans forward and places his forehead against Prompto’s. 

Prompto chokes back a sob and bites his lip, nodding furiously. 

“Tell me, Prom.” 

Prompto inhales and exhales. “I’m totally in love with you,” he says. “Uh. For forever.” 

All Noctis can do is smile. “Kiss me?” 

A small noise of want pushes its way past Prompto’s lips and he falls into Noctis helplessly, like he’s been falling all these years. 

___________ smiles to herself as she watches the two handsome men resolve years’ worth of tension in front of her. She feels her body flood with more warm, fuzzy feelings; and the primal need to _get bred_. She hopes that the prince and his pretty blond friend are up for the challenge. 


End file.
